Hans von Kroner
"I am Leutnant Hans von Kroner. Serial number 16638, and you can take me back to Battalion now." Leutnant Hans von Kroner is a Heer officer and spy. He is in Stalag 12 under the assumed identity of Sergeant Leonard Richardson. Whilst there he volunteers for a out of camp work detail and when the opportunity arises he steals a shovel from a German truck and smuggles it back to camp. He gives the shovel to the American G.Is who are digging an escape tunnel. His only reason for doing this was that he thought the G.Is were becoming suspicious of him, because some new P.O.Ws had arrived from the unit he was claiming to be from, and none of them said that they knew him. He meets with Commandant Eindorf and tells him everything, saying that the G.Is plan on escaping within a few weeks. The Commandant explains its better to let them dig a tunnel he knows about than for them to dig one he doesn't. He then tells Kroner that it is not his concern anymore as he is being transferred to a special unit. As he can speak American English he is selected along with other English speakers. At the training school he hears rumours that they are going to kidnap Eisenhower, or are going to be sent to blow up the White House and capture Roosevelt. Those rumours are soon quashed when at a meeting held by Oberst von Ruppel, they learn that they will be take part in Operation Greif, where they will dress in American uniforms and spearhead the Ardennes Offencive against the Allies. Their mission is to seize key objectives, commit sabotage, and confuse the enemy. Kroner is chosen to lead a four men team made up of himself, Untersturmführer Wilitz, Hauptmann Hoffner, and Kirsch a Kriegsmarine officer. When the Ardennes Offencive begins Kroner's team infiltrate the American lines, where they begin changing signs and committing acts of sabotage. The team spend a night at a farm, where the only occupants are a young Belgian woman and her younger brother. In the morning Wilitz tries to force himself on the young woman but luckily for her, Kroner comes to her aid. The next day the team head for Namur but are stopped on route and taken to an American Captain. When Kroner tells him his orders are to head to Namur, the Captain tells him his orders have changed, as the Division Kroner says he is from no longer exists. He and his men are to stay with the Captain, and Love Company of the 23rd Infantry. Kroner and his men are assigned to 2nd Platoon, which is led by Sergeant Ludwig, a fellow inmate of Kroner's from Stalag 12. He had managed to escape along with one other G.I, and get themselves back into action. He had heard that the Commandant had murdered all the other escapees. Kroner and his men, seizing an opportunity get back into their Jeep and drive off, claiming to be on "Captain's orders". They radio German HQ and inform them of their status, and ask whether they should return to German lines. The reply the receive tells them to stay with the Americans and to make sure that they don't take a vital crossroads. Kroner and his men return to the Americans where they boobytrap the Jeep to explode within an hour. The Jeep explodes killing the American Captain, leaving the company in command of a Lieutenant. The Americans next come across an Inn which is being held by German soldiers, as they go to take it, a firefight ensues and Wilitz takes the opportunity to shoot the Lieutenant in the back, leaving the company in command of Sergeant Ludwig. The Germans surrender, they are mostly old men and young boys. Kroner volunteers to take them back to Battalion. He offers them the chance to escape but they refuse, they felt that the war was over. Kroner's team then attempt to to rig the company's munitions carrier to explode. Wilitz kills a guard and sets the explosives, but the guard is found and the American Sergeant finds and disarms the explosives. He begins to suspect Kroner and his men, so sends them to take watch on a hill. A short while later Kroner's team are shot at and shouted at in German. They react by shouting back that they are Germans, only then to be confronted by the American Sergeant and his men. The G.Is take them prisoner but Wilitz makes a break for it, throwing a grenade as he goes. Kroner and the others make a run for it in the confusion. Wilitz, Hoffner, and Kirsch are shot dead as they run and Kroner is shot and wounded in his arm. He is taken prisoner again. He is put under an American guard while of the G.Is attempt to take the crossroads, which is heavyly defended by Germans. During the fighting Kroner attacks his guard and takes his weapon. He watches as a group of G.Is are ambushed from the rear, they surrender and drop their weapons, only to be gunned down by an SS officer. Kroner witnessing this shoots and kills the SS officer, before running to abandoned Machine gun and opening fire on the rest of the German soldiers. He kills them and then manages to take the last MG which is pinning the Americans down, but he is fatally wounded in doing so. He makes a speech the the German P.O.Ws before he dies. "I am Hans von Kroner. My father is General von Kroner. Hitler's dream is insane. We have being doing the work of the Devil. Go home. Go home and swear never to say Heil again." Awards *Iron Cross 1st Class *Iron Cross 2nd Class *Infantry Assault Badge Notes *His father was a war hero at Verdun during The Great War and is now serving as a General on the Russian Front. Everyone Hans von Kroner meets respects his father. Including Oberst Eindorf, Oberst von Ruppel and Untersturmführer Wilitz. Gallery Hoffner, Wilitz, Kroner and Kirsch..png|Hoffner, Wilitz, Kroner and Kirsch. Kroner, kirsch, hoffner and wilitz.png|Kroner, Kirsch, Hoffner and Wilitz. 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